Shop floor chaos can feel inevitable when priorities change by the hour and everyone is chasing the latest crisis. Why does it keep happening, and can you actually stop it? Yes – when you give people clear, real-time priorities they can trust. At LillyWorks, we see the same pattern in discrete manufacturers of all sizes.… READ MORE
The Misunderstanding About Throughput Most manufacturers equate an increase in throughput with running machines faster or adding capacity. But that approach often leads to more work-in-process (WIP), more chaos, and the same output at the end of the day. The truth is, throughput in manufacturing isn’t just about doing more – it’s about keeping flow… READ MORE
Manufacturers today are often inundated with dashboards displaying a dizzying array of key performance metrics for manufacturing. From overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and yield rates to first-pass quality and inventory turnover, the sheer volume of data can be overwhelming. But amidst all the numbers and charts, which key performance metrics for manufacturing truly signal the… READ MORE
Every manufacturer knows they need to calculate process capacity to understand their production limits – how many units can a machine produce per hour, how many orders can a work center handle in a day. These calculations provide a theoretical ceiling, a benchmark against which performance is often measured. But knowing your theoretical maximum is… READ MORE
Today’s manufacturers are awash in shop floor data. Sensors, systems, and reports generate more information than ever—machine performance metrics, real-time inventory levels, and employee productivity tracking. The promise is that this wealth of data will deliver greater visibility and more effective shop floor management. But is it really improving decision-making and outcomes? Or are we… READ MORE
Many manufacturers invest in sophisticated advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems, hoping to create the perfect production blueprint – a meticulously crafted sequence of operations designed to optimize resources and ensure timely completion. The promise of these systems lies in their ability to foresee potential bottlenecks and proactively allocate capacity. But what happens when the… READ MORE
In the world of manufacturing, efficiency is paramount. One of the biggest hindrances to a smooth manufacturing process is what’s known as a ‘bottleneck’. This term refers to the point in the production line where work accumulates faster than it can be processed. Fortunately, scheduling software has emerged as a powerful tool to address and… READ MORE
Extend the lives of your sales and operations management team. If you’re involved in business you probably know that scheduling meetings go something like this:– Coffee and donuts in the conference room These meetings can take up a lot of time. How often does a scheduling meeting happen? Twice weekly? Daily? How long does it take? An hour?… READ MORE
When you’re trying to juggle dozens of work orders, it’s tempting to cut to the chase and go straight to the whiteboard or Excel spreadsheet to draft your shop’s production schedule. While the DIY approach may be easier to get up and running than your existing ERP’s scheduling functionality, it often results in decreased visibility,… READ MORE
The ERP industry has two new words in its vocabulary – “Cloud ERP”. According to some of the advertising coming from vendors, if you put “Cloud” in front of “ERP” you somehow get a better ERP system. Sounds like magic to me. There are certainly benefits to hosting ERP, or any application for that matter,… READ MORE
Which of you readers like computational math? If you do, jump to the next paragraph, if you don’t I’ll cut to the chase – understanding that finding a mathematical solution that produces an “optimal” production schedule is a more challenging version of the Travelling Salesman problem, our dilemma of finding a solution then falls into… READ MORE
By: Scott Filiault Do you consider the money you have deposited at your bank safe? How familiar are you with the safeguards at the bank that are designed to protect your nest egg? Would you feel safer installing a safe in your home or business perhaps? Think about why you are, or possibly are not,… READ MORE